OCRB: Tricky

Apparently, I buy too many records

My wife Helen, like every other woman i've ever lived with, believes that I buy too many records.

Which, as every record-buying man knows, is a ridiculous belief.

I will concede, however, that I do indeed buy a lot of records and that I don't afford them the same amount of listens and attention that I did 20 or 30 years ago.

To this end, I have decided to blog about the records that I buy, in order to help my appreciation of them - and perhaps to show Helen that I don't buy that many records after all.

Because i'm crap with deadlines the blog posts will be sporadic and probably be about a month or 2 behind but that's just the way i am! The posts will not necessarily be actual reviews (most likely comments, at best) and will generally be pretty damn short due to the reasons outlined above. As a writer in a previous existence i have decided not to worry about writing as art in the pieces but, instead, to attempt to convey feeling over semantic (and often grammatic) perfection.

And 'OCRB'? It stands for 'Obsessive Compulsive Record Buying' - a little known mental health affliction that is potentially damaging to the bank account but ultimately life-affirming. It is sad.......but a nice form of sad.

Thursday, 3 February 2011

Tricky: Mixed Race (Domino)

Maybe it's the amount of long winded post rock or ambient tracks i listen to but I'm having trouble with this album as all the tracks seem too bloody short. Average length is just under 3 minutes which don't really give the tracks time to stretch and breathe. This is ironic, as i was just celebrating the brevity of the OFF! album where the average track length is about 58 seconds - but this is tricky for gods sake, where you expect to climb within the song to enjoy its claustrophobic intent rather than these short glimpses of darkness. Anyway, i think its ok but nothing has really grabbed me yet and so I'm gonna have to spend a bit more time with it. Back later.

Thursday, 20 January 2011

TRICKY VS. SOUTH RAKKAS CREW - Tricky Meets South Rakkas Crew (Domino)

Another great buy from the Norman Records sale. Double album of tracks from Tricky's 'Knowle West Boy' album all mashed and dubbed and pulled apart at the seams by Floridians (by way of Toronto and Kingston) South Rakkas Crew. Apparently they used to be shit hot dancehall producers and have now become shit hot remixers for the likes of Britney Spears, Alicia Keys and Beck, so this album is a weird amalgam of styles that show off their own listening habits - from ragga to hip hop to r 'n' b ( the 'now' version as opposed to the 'Dr Feelgood' version) and all points in between. And it's fucking great, despite the obvious concerns. One of those releases where the power in the grooves really flies the flag for vinyl pressing.